Special Counsel
On June 6, 2008, 56 Congressional Democrats and 0 (zero) Republicans signed a letter (PDF) to Attorney General Michael Mukasey asking for appointment of outside counsel to investigate whether interrogations of detainees have violated Federal law. Text of letter Congress of the United States Washington DC 20515 June 6, 2008 The Honorable Michael Mukasey Attorney General of the United States U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington DC 20530 Dear Mr. Attorney General: We are writing to request that you appoint a special counsel to investigate whether the Bush Administration's policies regarding the interrogation of detainees have violated federal criminal laws. There is mounting evidence that the Bush Administration has sanctioned enhanced interrogation techniques against detainees under the control of the United States that warrant an investigation. Congress is already aware of the pattern of abuse against detainees under the control of the United States and the Bush Administration. In 2004, prisoners being held at Abu Ghraib prison were subjected to abuse, sexual exploitation and torture. At the Guantanamo Bay Detention facility, prisoners have been held indefinitely, subjected to sleep deprivation, and drugged against their will. An independent investigation by the International Committee of the Red Cross documented several instances of acts of torture against detainees, including soaking a prisoner's hand in alcohol and lighting it on fire, subjecting a prisoner to sexual abuse, and forcing a prisoner to eat a baseball. In October 2005, the New York Times reported that three detainees were killed duing interrogations in Afghanistan and Iraq by CIA agents or CIA contractors. We believe that these events alone warrant action, but within the last month additional information has surfaced that suggests the fact that not only did top Administration officials meet in the White House and approve the use of enhanced techniques including waterboarding against detainees, but that President Bush was aware of, and approved of the meetings taking place. This information indicates that the Bush Administration may have systematically implemented, from the top down, detainee interrogation policies that constitute torture or otherwise violate the law. We believe tht these serious and significant revelations warrant an immediate investigation to determine whether actions taken by the President, his Cabinet, and other Administration officials are in violation of the War Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. 2441), the Anti-Torture Act, (18 U.S.C. 2340-2340A), and other U.S. and international laws. Despite the seriousness of the evidence, the Justice Department has brought prosucution agaist only one civilian for an interrogation-related crime. Given that record, we believe that it is necessary to appoint a special counsel in order to ensure that a thorough and impartial investigation occurs, and that the prosecution of anyone who violated federal criminal statutes prohibiting toture and abuse is pursued if warranted by the facts. Again, we strongly urge that you act in a timely manner to appoint a special counsel. We look forward to hearing from you in response to our request. Sincerely, Jan Schakowsky Member of Congress John Conyers Chairman House Judiciary Committee Jerrold Nadler Chairman, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Barney Frank Member of Congress Jim Oberstar Member of Congress Sheila Jackson Lee Member of Congress Carolyn Malony Member of Congress Peter DeFazio Member of Congress Ed Markey Member of Congress Maurice Hinchey Member of Congress Jim McGovern Member of Congress Lynn Woolsey Member of Congress Jim McDermott Member of Congress Bob Filner Member of Congress Tammy Baldwin Member of Congress Keith Ellison Member of Congress Steve Cohen Member of Congress John Olver Member of Congress Betty McCollum Member of Congress Sam Farr Member of Congress Jim Moran Member of Congress Betty Sutton Member of Congress Bobby Scott Member of Congress Dennis Kucinich Member of Congress Lois Capps Member of Congress José Serrano Member of Congress William Jefferson Member of Congress Michael Capuano Member of Congress Pete Stark Member of Congress Lucille Roybal-Allard Member of Congress John Tierney Member of Congress George Miller Member of Congress Luis Gutierrez Member of Congress Steven Rothman Member of Congress Rush Holt Member of Congress David Wu Member of Congress Paul Hodes Member of Congress Andre Carson Member of Congress Robert Wexler Member of Congress Lloyd Doggett Member of Congress Diana DeGette Member of Congress Raúl Grijalva Member of Congress John Larson Member of Congress Rick Boucher Member of Congress Hilda Solis Member of Congress Linda Sanchez Member of Congress Danny Davis Member of Congress Rosa DeLauro Member of Congress Mike Honda Member of Congress Eleanor Holmes Norton Member of Congress Peter Welch Member of Congress Tim Ryan Member of Congress Barbara Lee Member of Congress Zoe Lofgren Member of Congress Chaka Fattah Member of Congress David Price Member of Congress External References * Lawmakers Urge Special Counsel Probe of Harsh Interrogation Tactics, by Joby Warrick, Washington Post Staff Writer, Sunday, June 8, 2008 * Press release June 9, 2008, House Democrats Call for Investigation in the Bush Administration's Interrogation Techniques